Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal defense team failed to win any major concessions Wednesday in a hearing that focused on his claimed difficulties in preparing for his October trial from the confines of a Brooklyn lockup. Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York declined to grant their biggest ask, which was for Bankman-Fried to be released from jail in order to prepare his defense. “We’re at that point—we need” him to be released, said one of Bankman-Fried’s lawyers, Christian Everdell.
Judge Kaplan also rejected other major requests put forward by the defense, such as their request to preclude all documents produced after July 1 due to the government dumping millions of discovery documents on them weeks ahead of the trial. He said the defense could ask to postpone the start of a trial if they wanted more time to review, but they would have to do so before Sept. 7, which is when the jury selection process would start.
During the hearing, the defense, Judge Kaplan, and prosecution took turns sparring over the conditions in the Metropolitan Detention Center, including Bankman-Fried’s laptop’s battery life and internet access. The government said it was making every effort to fix Bankman-Fried’s jailhouse tech dilemmas, but the defense pushed back, arguing their “solutions do not pan out in practice.”
Bankman-Fried was jailed in early August for attempted witness tampering. Last Friday, his attorney filed a motion asking for a temporary release ahead of trial or alternatively, to allow Bankman-Fried to meet with his defense team five days a week, arguing that it is his constitutional right to have a fair trial.